The relaxation of Christmas rules in Scotland has been limited to Christmas Day only.
The planned relaxation over the festive period has been cut back to just Christmas Day for the whole of Scotland
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced a “strict travel ban” between Scotland and the rest of the UK.
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The travel ban between Scotland and the rest of the UK will remain in place throughout the Christmas holidays and bubbles will only be allowed on Christmas Day, Nicola Sturgeon has said.
The Christmas “bubble” policy has been scrapped, with household mixing only allowed on Christmas Day.
Measures had been set to ease across the UK between December 23-27 however, all of Scotland will enter Level 4 – the toughest of the county’s five tiers of restrictions – for three weeks from one minute after midnight on Boxing Day morning.
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The easing of restrictions of indoor household mixing will only apply on Christmas Day and all of Scotland will be placed into Level 4 restrictions from Boxing Day.
Non-essential shops will close as will cafes, restaurants and hairdressers.
Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles and other Island communities will move to Level 3.
The restrictions will be reviewed after two weeks, Ms Sturgeon said.
Addressing the nation in a press conference, Nicola Sturgeon said: “In order to reduce the risk of more of the [coronavirus] strain being imported into Scotland, we intend to maintain a strict travel ban between Scotland and the rest of the UK.
“Unfortunately, and I am genuinely sorry about this, that ban will remain in place right throughout the festive period.
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“We simply cannot risk more of this new strain entering the country if we can possibly avoid it.
“That means people from Scotland not visiting other parts of the UK, and vice versa.
“Cross-border travel for all but the most essential purposes is not permitted.”
Schools will open for keyworkers as normal, but the majority of pupils will not return on January 11, with online learning until at least January 18.
The new strain of the virus is the “most serious and potentially dangerous juncture” faced since the start of the pandemic, she said.
She said 17 cases of the new strain had been identified in Scotland and may be driving faster transmission of Covid in some hospitals and care homes.
Without acting firmly, the new strain could lead to the NHS being overwhelmed and more people dying from the virus, she said.
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